The 7 Steps to Building a Chiropractic WELLNESS Practice
Posted by Dennis Nikitow on July 17, 2014 0 Comments
In today’s healthcare system, people are trying to adapt a wellness model of healthcare for themselves and their families. Healthcare delivery systems are advertising wellness as a healthier lifestyle. The only problem is no one has defined what wellness is so people have different definitions of wellness as it applies solely to them. Some approach it nutritionally so they seek help to eat better. Some approach it physically and think exercise will give them wellness. Yet others try support groups, stress reduction classes, or spiritual study.
Many chiropractors want to establish a wellness practice, but aren’t sure how or where to begin. They think they need to become nutritionists, exercise trainers, or psychological and spiritual counselors. Then when their practices don’t grow, and their retention drops, they wonder why. Yet, this is the same problem chiropractors have always had. They dilute the principle of chiropractic so people don’t understand how to use it.
To establish a wellness practice as a chiropractor requires an understanding of how chiropractic principles and philosophy play a part in healthcare so the patient sees your uniqueness to their health, and adds you to their wellness team. It does not mean adding different components to dilute chiropractic and confuse the patient. There are seven steps to positioning your practice for wellness.
- Have a definition of wellness your patient feels comfortable with. I define it this way, “Wellness is maintaining certain actions to prevent illness and injury”. This is simple, and makes sense to people, because this what they are trying to achieve.
- Next, explain how “maintaining certain actions” applies to their health and wellness. I show them my M-P-C poster which explains this fundamental. If something requires maintenance and is neglected, a problem will develop. Problems are always silent. Eventually, the problem will get so bad, a crisis will occur. Symptoms occur in the crisis stage not the problem stage. Therefore, people need to maintain certain actions to prevent the crisis of unwanted illness and injuries.
- Now establish what needs to be maintained for optimum health and wellness by explaining the four essentials of health. The body needs food, water, oxygen and nerve impulse for life. If one of these stop you die. If their quantity or quality is reduced, health and wellness suffers. Here is where you can incorporate how to maintain proper nutrition and exercise.
- The last essential, nerve impulse, ties chiropractic philosophy and principles into wellness. When the brain impulse stops you die. If you sever a nerve, the function dies to that part of the body. Therefore, a subluxation causes nerve interference resulting in dis-ease, damage and dysfunction to that part of the body. I use the four essential of health pamphlet to anchor this message.
- Next, show medical research to support the philosophy and principles. I use our “Medical Research on Subluxation” posters and pamphlets, which dispels any doubt that spinal subluxations need to be maintained or they can affect overall health and wellness to every organ and tissue of the body.
- I put up testimonials of patients showing before and after x-rays for all types of health conditions from asthma to endometriosis. This proves to the patient that spinal alignment has everything to do with health and wellness and chiropractic is not just for back pain.
- The last step is to summarize these points and give the patient a directive that they need a chiropractor on their health care team for optimum wellness.
We need to position wellness programs as needing chiropractic to be complete, rather than changing chiropractic to be something it’s not. Stick to the philosophy and principles of chiropractic and use the steps that I have outlined here to build your wellness practice with certainty.